Smothered Chicken Burritos Remix
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Cheesy burritos filled with sautéed peppers, shredded chicken, and spices, baked under a luscious cheese sauce. Uses a quick roux base for the cheese sauce with grated smoked gouda swapped for cheddar. Oven bakes at 360°F to hit crispy edges without drying. Step timing flexible, focusing on softened veggies, thickened sauce, and toasty tortilla rims as signals. Great tweak with chipotle powder replacing chile powder for a smoky bite. Key: feel the sauce thickness and smell browned notes from baking tortilla crust. A solid casual meal mixed with bold flavors and textural contrasts.
Prep:
12 min
Cook:
27 min
Total:
39 min
Servings:
4 servings
#Mexican-American
#burritos
#cheese sauce
#smoked gouda
#chipotle
#baked
#comfort food
#chicken
#quick roux
Start in the thick of things; melting butter, whisking flour, this roux base is where texture begins. Cheese sauce thickens up fast—skip distractions here or risk grit. I swapped traditional cheddar for smoked gouda last attempt, brought a deep, sweet backbone. Vegetables need softening but not mush; that slight bite keeps each bite lively. Chipotle powder over chile powder was a game-changer, smoky and nuanced where cumin or plain chile just hit sharp notes. Baking at 360°F instead of 350°F nudged the tortillas to a better crunch edge and color without drying out the filling. Rolls should hug contents tightly; any slack turns to sogginess, trust me. A quick sprinkle of fresh garnish finishes the story—balances out richness. This one’s built around recognizing aroma changes and subtle texture cues, not watching the clock.
Ingredients
- For Cheese Sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole milk, more if needed
- 1 cup shredded smoked gouda (substitutes cheddar or Monterey Jack)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- For Burritos
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 medium bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder (instead of chile powder)
- ¾ cup red enchilada sauce
- 4 large flour tortillas
- Cooking spray
About the ingredients
Butter and flour combo for roux is classic, but key is timing—cook to remove raw flour flavor without browning too much or it turns bitter. Whole milk’s for richness, but allowed to thin sauce with more to your liking or fridge leftovers. Gouda instead of cheddar? Try it smooth, keeps sauce buttery and a little smoky, but Monterey Jack works better if you want milder cheese. Skip chipotle powder for plain chili powder if heat’s a problem, or toss in a pinch of cumin for earthiness. Onions and peppers need that sweat stage till their edges soften and juices release; don’t rush or you lose that juicy bite. Flour tortillas, not corn here, hold up better to baking and rolling. Spray dish liberally to prevent sticking; no one likes gouda stuck on the bottom pan. And enchilada sauce—pick a fairly thick one, watery versions turn filling sloppy.
Method
For Cheese Sauce
- Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat, whisk in flour fast to avoid lumps. Cook paste until it smells faintly nutty, about 2 mins max but watch closely.
- Slowly pour in milk, whisk constantly so mixture turns glossy without clumps; should be pourable but thickening.
- Toss shredded smoked gouda in, stir vigorously until sauce blends into creamy, thick texture—no graininess allowed.
- Keep fire moderate; sauce thickens further—skin forms slow bubbles, coat back of spoon well.
- Taste, add salt. If sauce feels too goopy, splash in 1-2 tablespoons more milk, whisk like mad, get pourable but clingy finish.
- Remove from heat, hold warm but not hot to stop breaking.
For Burritos
- Preheat oven to 360°F—a bit higher than usual, targets browned tortilla edges without drying filling.
- Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Toss in sliced bell pepper and onion; sweat until soft and shiny but still with a bit of bite, around 6-8 minutes. Avoid browning too much or you’ll lose veggie sweetness.
- Dump veggies into a large bowl. Add shredded chicken, Monterey Jack, chipotle powder, and enchilada sauce.
- Mix well, taste—chipotle should kick sulfurous, smoky heat, a nice change from regular chile powder’s sharper tone.
- Spray a 9x13 pan. Divide the mixture evenly over tortillas, roll snug and tight—loose wrapping here means soggy middle.
- Nestle burritos close side by side in baking dish, room for cheese sauce on top.
- Ladle over your cheese sauce generously. If feeling daring, add extra enchilada sauce drizzles for acid punch.
- Slide into oven uncovered; bake 17-22 minutes or until tortilla rims turn golden and crispy, edges bubble with heat. Smell will shift—smoky, cheesy, toasty all at once.
- Pull out, let rest 5 minutes to set layers.
- Top with chopped cilantro, sliced radishes, or dollops of sour cream. Always the fun finishing touch.
- Serves four. Store leftovers refrigerated—reheat covered in microwave at low power to keep cheese from splitting.
Cooking tips
Whisk constantly when making cheese sauce—no lumps, no exceptions. Roux cooked too long? Sauce thickens so fast, better off pulling heat earlier than later. Adding shredded smoked gouda cold introduces texture contrast when melted, no pre-melting; makes for creamier finish. Softened veggies tossed with chicken and spices ensures flavors marry but stay distinct. Folding cheese inside vs topping differently affects gooeyness and melt; keep cheese in filling for melty pockets. Burrito rolling tight keeps juices locked. Watch for bubbling cheese sauce as a sign of readiness, plus browned tortilla edges as your non-timed doneness cue. Resting post-bake settles everything, making slicing cleaner too. If reheating leftovers, low and slow is key; blast microwaving breaks cheese sauce, separates fat.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Start cheese sauce fast—whisk flour and butter to paste without lumps; smell faint nuttiness rather than browned. Pour milk gradually, whisk nonstop. Sauce thickness is visual and tactile—should coat spoon’s back, not run thin or clumpy. Adjust milk post-cheese fold-in, never raw temperature; cool cheese resists grit, melts smoother into sauce. Heat moderate: too hot — sauce breaks. Remove from heat early if bubbles slow. Final salt after cheese adds precision.
- 💡 Veggies sweat till tender but springy—don’t rush or brown. Sweetness fades with color; soft but still crisp is target. Mix peppers and onion off direct heat with chicken and spice—chipotle punch is smoky unlike chili’s sharper edge. Taste early and tweak; powder varies brand to brand. Roll burrito tight to trap steam and moisture; loose wrap means wet soggy. Spray baking pan liberally or burritos stick. Weight evenly, uniform size helps bake evenly and avoid raw pockets.
- 💡 Oven temp at 360°F is slight nudge up to crisp tortilla edges for crunch without drying filling inside. Watch for aroma shift from faintly sweet to cheesy toasted notes, bubbling on edges. Don’t cover—trap ruins rims. Resting after baking is critical; sauce sets, fillings meld, slicing easier without collapse. If sauce thickens too much in fridge, whisk in splash of milk to loosen. Reheat low power in microwave—high heat separates sauce, oil floats out and textures spoil fast.
- 💡 Substitute smoked gouda with pepper jack for subtle heat or Gruyère if nuttier depths preferred. Cheddar and Monterey Jack swap here depending on levelling sharpness and melt profile desired. For vegetarian option, replace chicken with refried beans and toss in sautéed mushrooms. Watch for leftover chicken skin bits; fat changes mouthfeel and can dull bright chipotle flavors. Burrito edges crisp better if sprayed lightly with oil before baking, helps color. Don’t skip roux timing; if cooked too long it browns bitterly, wrecking sauce base.
- 💡 Sauce is sensitive; constant whisking key. Add cheese cold—melts slower, less chance of grainy feel. Sauce has stages: shiny gloss means ready to add cheese. Clumpy or dry sauce means lost timing or heat too high. Chipotle heat intensity depends on type and amount—start small if unsure. Burritos cool slightly after oven before topping with garnishes like cilantro or radishes—keeps freshness contrast intact. Lime juice squeeze at plating brightens layers without wetting tortillas.
Common questions
How thick should cheese sauce be?
Coat spoon back thick but pourable, no lumps. Too runny adds wateriness; too stiff means roux cooked too long or flour ratio off. Adjust milk in small increments.
Can I swap chipotle powder?
Use chili powder but it’s sharper, not smoky. Add smoked paprika for warmth if you lack chipotle. Cumin adds earthiness, but changes overall flavor note greatly.
What if tortillas get soggy?
Roll burrito tight, spray pan and edges lightly with oil. Baking uncovered at 360°F crisps edges. Loose wrapping traps steam inside causing sogginess. Rest time helps firm layers too.
Best way to store leftovers?
Refrigerate covered tightly. Reheat in microwave at low power in short bursts to keep cheese stable. High heat causes sauce to break and separate fats. Sauce thickens in fridge stir with milk or warm gently to loosen.
